Cherries
Rosaceae
By Jennifer A. Wickes
Copyright 2002
History / Geography
May to August
Sweet: These are larger, firmer and heart shaped. They can be eaten fresh or cooked. They are a dark red to purple shade.
Bing, Lambert, Tartarian and Royal Ann.
Sour: These are smaller, softer and rounder. They are great for pies and jams.
Early Richmond, Montmorency, Morello.
How to Choose
Choose brightly colored cherries that are shiny and plump. The sweet cherries should be firm, and the sour cherries should be semi-firm. Cherries with a stem last longer.
How to Store
Store unwashed in a plastic bag in your refrigerator.
Wine
French Columbard
Hints
If you don't have a cherry pitter, use a straw instead to help push the pit out!
To maintain their color when baking (cakes, cookies, muffins etc.) use buttermilk or sour cream for some of the milk in the recipe.
Spices
Allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, mace and nutmeg.
Equivalents / Substitutions
1 pound = 3 cups stemmed = 2 1/2 cups pitted
10 oz. frozen = 1 cup
16 oz. can = 1 1/2 cups drained
More Informations
http://www.califcherry.com
http://www.cherrymkt.org/index.html
Recipes
Traditional Cherry Pie
4 cups frozen unsweetened tart cherries
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Pastry for 2-crust, 9-inch pie
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Combine cherries, granulated sugar, tapioca and almond extract in a large mixing bowl; mix well. (It is not necessary to thaw cherries before using.) Let cherry mixture stand 15 minutes.
Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry; fill with cherry mixture. Dot with butter. Adjust top crust, cutting slits for steam to escape.
Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven 50 to 55 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
Yields: 8 servings
Cherry Marketing Institute:
http://www.cherrymkt.org/index.html
Cherry Walnut Divinity
Rosaceae
By Jennifer A. Wickes
Copyright 2002
History / Geography
Cherries have been known to date back as early as 300 BC. They were given their name after a town, Cerasus, in Turkey.
During the Middle Ages, it was decided that cherries should be eaten at the beginning of the meal. Cherries were thought to be a "cold" fruit that lowered the body temperature and would make people susceptible to fevers.
Varieties / SeasonMay to August
Sweet: These are larger, firmer and heart shaped. They can be eaten fresh or cooked. They are a dark red to purple shade.
Bing, Lambert, Tartarian and Royal Ann.
Sour: These are smaller, softer and rounder. They are great for pies and jams.
Early Richmond, Montmorency, Morello.
How to Choose
Choose brightly colored cherries that are shiny and plump. The sweet cherries should be firm, and the sour cherries should be semi-firm. Cherries with a stem last longer.
How to Store
Store unwashed in a plastic bag in your refrigerator.
Wine
French Columbard
Hints
If you don't have a cherry pitter, use a straw instead to help push the pit out!
To maintain their color when baking (cakes, cookies, muffins etc.) use buttermilk or sour cream for some of the milk in the recipe.
Spices
Allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, mace and nutmeg.
Equivalents / Substitutions
1 pound = 3 cups stemmed = 2 1/2 cups pitted
10 oz. frozen = 1 cup
16 oz. can = 1 1/2 cups drained
More Informations
http://www.califcherry.com
http://www.cherrymkt.org/index.html
Recipes
Traditional Cherry Pie
4 cups frozen unsweetened tart cherries
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Pastry for 2-crust, 9-inch pie
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Combine cherries, granulated sugar, tapioca and almond extract in a large mixing bowl; mix well. (It is not necessary to thaw cherries before using.) Let cherry mixture stand 15 minutes.
Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry; fill with cherry mixture. Dot with butter. Adjust top crust, cutting slits for steam to escape.
Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven 50 to 55 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
Yields: 8 servings
Cherry Marketing Institute:
http://www.cherrymkt.org/index.html
Cherry Walnut Divinity
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